Toilet operating assembly

ABSTRACT

A toilet operating assembly for protecting the hands of a user of a toilet against germs, the operating assembly being adapted to attach to a toilet seat and to include a partially housed vapor emitting, wick, separating an operating handle and the toilet seat.

I O United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,783,455 Vanderbrook Jan. 8, 1974TOILET OPERATING ASSEMBLY 985,535 2/1911 Moriarty 4/241 [76] Inventor:William R. Vanderbrook, 623 Sunny 32121: Side Cadillac, Mich- 496013:566:421 3/1971 Waddle Mal'llIOOth [21] Appl' 9 273,351 PrimaryExaminer-Henry K. Artis Attorney-C. A. Phillips [52] US. Cl. 4/1, 4/237[51] Int. Cl A47k 17/00, E03d 11/00 57 S C [58] Field of Search 4/237,1, 234, 235,

1 4/236, 238 239 240 241 A toilet operating assembly for protecting thehands of a user of a toilet against germs, the operating assembly [56]References Cited being adapted to attach to a toilet seat and to includeUNITED STATES PATENTS a partially housed vapor emitting, wick,separating an operating handle and the toilet seat. 636,564 11/1899Russell 4/237 X 91 1,942 2/1909 Cowan 4/237 5 Claims, 3 Drawing FiguresTOILET OPERATING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to devices for theoperation and use of toilets wherein some means is provided forsafeguarding the user in handling the toilet from germs which the userwould otherwise encounter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Certain types of handles and brackets havebeen previously suggested for operating toilet seat assemblies whereinthe hand of the user is isolated to some extent from the surface of theseat of the assembly. However, the applicant believes that these havefailed to provide a substantial barrier to the transmission of germsbetween the toilet seat and the hands of the user.

SUMMARY OFv THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved toilet operating assemblywherein the missing protection is provided. Accordingly, and inaccordance with this invention an arm is connected at one end to themember of the toilet to be operated and intermediate this end and theopposite end, which ishand operated,there is provided a porous bodywhich surrounds the arm and which is adapted to be filled with avaporizing germicidal liquid. The porous body is generally surroundedbya housing which extends outward from the arm in the region between thehand operating end or handle and theporous body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a partialview of a conventional commode l0. Commode includes bowl 12 whichsupports a seat assembly 14 of seat 16 and seat cover 18, each beinghinged to common pin 20 so that seat 16 and cover 18 may be selectivelyraised or lowered.

To seat 16 is installed a hygenic operating handle assembly 22constructed in accordance with the invention. Handle assembly 22 istypically formed of plastic or other suitable non-corrosive material andincludes a central arm or frame member 23 with an attaching member ormounting plate 24 at one end and a hand engaging member 26 at theopposite end. Intermediate between ends there is provided a germicidalwick or porous body 28. A protective shell 30 extends outward from arm23 between porous body 28 and hand engaging member 26 and generallyhouses porous body 28, leaving. an annular opening 32 for directingvapor toward attaching member 24 and seat assembly 14. Attaching memberor mounting plate 24 is contoured to mate with the outer curvature 34 ofthe underside of seat 16 and is provided with mounting holes 36 toaccept wood screws, sheet metal screws, etc., not shown, for attachinghandle assembly 22 to seat 16. Alternately, handle assembly 22 may besecured toseat 16 by a suitable waterproof adhesive.

Hand engaging member 26 is formed into a finger grip essentiallytoroidal in shape, to provide upper and lower hand engaging surfaces 38and 40, which are effectively isolated from seat 16.

Germicidal porous body 28, is actually attached to arm 23 and is formedof a non-nutrient material such as asbestos or a porous syntheticmaterial which temporarily stores a quantity of vaporizing germicidalagent in liquid form. Vapors from the liquid escape through annular slot32 to kill bacteria which otherwise would contaminate arm 23 and migrateto hand engaging member 26. Porous body 28 is filled and replenishedthrough filler hole 42, positioned in the outer top region of protectiveshell 30. Ideally, porous body 28 is treated with a chemical indicatorwhich visibly changes color as germicide is depleted.

Handle assembly 22 may be fastened to the under side of seat 16 at anyconvenient point in the manner heretofore described. Similarly, a handle22 may be fastened to a side of cover 18. Still another application ofhandle assembly 22 would be as an operating assembly for flushing acommode. In such instance there would be provided an appropriate clampto interconnect the handle assembly to the flushing lever which wouldreplace the flat attaching member 24 illustrated in FIG. 2. y

The handle assembly is illustrated and described herein would be grippedby the fingers in an obvious manner when used to lift a seat 16, and/orcover 18 or to perform a flushing function and in all cases an escapinggermicide would provide an antiseptic barrier between the finger or handgrip 26 and the toilet seat or other toilet member to which it isattached. In this fashion the invention provides an improved means ofhygenic protection for users of toilets, particularly public toilets andtoilets used by children.

What is claimed is:

l. A toilet operating assembly comprising:

an arm member adapted to be attached at one end to a toilet member to beoperated;

a handle extending from an end of said arm opposite to the end of saidarm attachable to said toilet member; s

a porous body affixed to and surrounding a length of said arm andintermediate its end and adapted to contain a sanitizing, vaporizingliquid,

whereby the path along said arm between said toilet member and saidhandle is interrupted by said porous body and bacteria migrating alongthe path are destroyed by said vaporizing liquid.

2. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 1 furthercomprising a housing extending outward from said porous body and saidhandle and covering at least one end and a side portion of said porousbody,

3. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein saidhousing includes an opening on a top side of said housing adapted toenable the application of a said liquid to said porous body.

4. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said armmember includes an enlarged but relatively flat region adapted to beattached to one of the surfaces of a toilet seat assembly.

5. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 4 furthercomprising a toilet seat assembly and said arm member is attached to it,extending outward from the under side of a toilet seat of said toiletseat assembly.

1. A toilet operating assembly comprising: an arm member adapted to beattached at one end to a toilet member to be operated; a handleextending from an end of said arm opposite to the end of said armattachable to said toilet member; a porous body affixed to andsurrounding a length of said arm and intermediate its end and adapted tocontain a sanitizing, vaporizing liquid, whereby the path along said armbetween said toilet member and said handle is interrupted by said porousbody and bacteria migrating along the path are destroyed by saidvaporizing liquid.
 2. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim1 further comprising a housing extending outward from said porous bodyand said handle and covering at least one end and a side portion of saidporous body.
 3. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 2wherein said housing includes an opening on a top side of said housingadapted to enable the application of a said liquid to said porous body.4. A toilet operating assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said armmember includes an enlarged but relatively flat region adapted to beattached to one of the surfaces of a toilet seat assembly.
 5. A toiletoperating assembly as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a toiletseat assembly and said arm member is attached to it, extending outwardfrom the under side of a toilet seat of said toilet seat assembly.